An oft-encountered problem when drinking spirits is nailing the ratio. Untold Spiced Rum is a new spirit launching on March 5 that has been made specifically for mixing. Melbourne bartenders, Oscar Eastman (ex-Eau de Vie), Andre Walters (The Lobo Plantation) and Nathan Beasley (Black Pearl), were enlisted for the creation of the recipe to ensure it hit the perfect balance of spice and flavour. To do so, they blended aged Caribbean rum and enhanced it with natural spices like orange oil, cinnamon, cloves and the essence of Islay, which gives off a smoky flavours.

To celebrate the launch, Oscar Eastman is hosting a private cocktail session in Auckland for a select number of lucky guests. The session will be held at an undisclosed location on Tuesday 20 February and will feature cocktails using the spiced rum as well as the three other new spirits.